The return to regular training after some time off is always the worst. Getting back to a plan for nine workouts a week (three each sport), and while I did the scheduled workouts for Monday and Tuesday, I’m skipping this morning’s run in favor of more recovery time (will play by ear whether I will hop back in the pool tonight). Not a bad thing, recovery is just as important as the actual workouts, and in some cases more important. The return did reveal some muscular weaknesses I need to address through weight training (most especially upper back/lats, based on soreness from yesterday’s run), which will get added in starting this weekend.

Orientation for the newbies is Saturday, then the gear clinic, then swim clinics. The only issue I’m having so far this year is trying to filter all the information I have in my head these days (yay coaching certification!) so as to only present newbie-appropriate information. At least with the return to the training fold I’m not feeling like a complete hypocrite this season (unlike last year’s lost season).

After not really looking at racing, I’m now suddenly filling up a mid-to-late summer schedule. I deferred Rocketts Landing from last year (July 22), just signed up for the new National Harbor half-Ironman (August 5) and it looks like the Regional championship is going to be the Nation’s Triathlon (September 9), so I’ll be signing up for that once it’s confirmed. Not bad for someone who spent the last two months bitching about losing out on the one race I had actually affirmatively signed up for but can’t attend (Columbia – May 20 – same weekend as the boy’s best friend’s wedding). And the time frames give me time to get back to half iron shape. Yay. And hell, maybe I’ll try for the DC Tri sprint (June 17) as a training race.

Should finally be the push I need to get back into my groove. I’ve missed that since the Ironman in 2010. Last year just fell apart completely, fitness wise, though I don’t regret taking the time to (sort of) prioritize dating over racing.

Next week will be 28 weeks out from the half, and the start of a new season for me. The following week I begin ‘formal’ coaching for the club newbies. Promises to be a busy and fun season.

I decided I’m not going to do an uberlist this year. I didn’t want to deal with coming up with 112 things to do over the course of the year, when my track record is getting only around half of them done. The list doesn’t change, but circumstances do, and I no longer find it a useful or fun tool. Instead I popped over onto Wunderlist and did up a number of lists in different areas (finances, health, “us” stuff, etc.) with some immediate goals, and a mind to checking in on them and updating them as life moves on. Goals are important, and reasonable, achievable ones even more so. We preach specificity of goals in coaching, so here I go. Won’t be posting them, but will be using them.

No clue what I’m going to do race-wise this year. I was signed up for one race, but we now have another event that weekend out of town, so no can do. Ugh. And I’m not thrilled with the local choices, mainly because I’ll be coaching folks through them. Might still do them (especially if I can get a comped entry or two), but at the moment I’d rather focus on my newbies.